go under

verb

went under; gone under; going under; goes under

intransitive verb

1

: sink entry 1 sense 1a

The ship went under in the storm.

2

: to be overwhelmed, destroyed, or defeated : fail

The company went under during the recession.

Examples of go under in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Per TruMedia, the Chiefs went under center on 20 percent of their snaps in 2025. — Jesse Newell, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

After helping the boy reach another family member, the woman went under. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

The show follows a father who has to move in with his estranged daughter after his business goes under. — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026

The group will be responsible for offering more care — and more kinds of it — as hospitals go under, Judge said. — Daniel Payne, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for go under

• asunder
• blunder
• bunder
• funder
• plunder
• sunder
• thunder